The Skies of Change
by Kina Kalamari
Summary: There are lots of ways to celebrate the coming of a New Year. Showing up four and a half hours late is just one of them. — A bit of light-hearted Eleven-and-Ponds fluff to ring in 2014.


**A/N: I tried to get this finished last night, but that really didn't work out. Luckily for me, New Year's is a two-day holiday, so I don't feel too lame about posting today instead.**

**Anyhow, I needed a cheerful dose of Eleven and the Ponds after that Christmas special, and what better way than to write a light-hearted New Year's fic? Just to warn you all, though, I basically just wrote start-to-finish and didn't really do any editing, as I only just came up with the idea for it last night and wanted to get it done in time. So don't expect greatness. But I do hope that you enjoy it. :)**

* * *

"Well it's about time you showed up."

The Doctor frowned, stepping into the hall from outside. "No need for that tone, Pond. I'm only…" He lifted his wrist up in front of his face, inspecting his watch. He lowered it again and glanced sheepishly at her. "Ah. Four and a half hours late. Sorry. TARDIS must need another temporal recalibration. She loses time every now and again. She's… She's like a watch."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Is that the story this time? 'The TARDIS is like a watch'?"

He shook a finger at her and strode toward the living room. She followed him, as he had known she would.

"It's a delicate science," he said grumpily. "More of an art, really. You're lucky I can land in the right century. I knew a bloke once who couldn't even manage—" He stopped suddenly as he came to the doorway of the living room, his gaze drawn to the unexpected person on the couch. "River. What are you doing here?"

"Well, that's one way to say hello," she said, standing.

"Hello?"

She sighed. "It's New Year's. I came to celebrate with my parents."

"Ah," he said. "I suppose that makes sense."

"You do realize that you're nearly five hours late?"

"Yes, we covered that bit already. It's not my fault, the—"

"— TARDIS needs another temporal recalibration, I'm sure."

Amy snickered.

The Doctor looked rapidly between them, his index finger switching between the two in an attempt to protest the injustice being done to him. "…shut up! I haven't _missed _anything, have I?"

"Only our wonderful company," Amy said, and turned to leave the room. "Rory! He's here!"

The reply from the kitchen was indistinct, but the Doctor caught enough to be fairly sure that it was similar to the other two responses he had gotten.

He scowled and turned to River.

"So…" He twisted his hands together. "What's the plan?"

"Plan?" she asked, walking over to him. "I thought that was your area, sweetie."

"Sure," he said. His eyes followed her hand as it reached up to fix her hair. "Man with a plan, that's me."

She stepped closer, and the hand he had been watching crossed the space between them to trace the edge of his lapel. "I love your plans."

He smirked. "I know you do."

"Ahem!"

Simultaneously, they looked toward the doorway. The Doctor took a step backward, attempting to put a slight distance between himself and the daughter of the two people who were now watching him. Said daughter raised her eyebrow but said nothing.

"Hello, Rory!" the Doctor said.

"Hi," Rory replied. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," the Doctor said nervously. "Nothing is going on. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that Amy said we were going somewhere," Rory said. "Something about a New Year's trip."

The Doctor clapped his hands together. "Yes! New Year's trip! What are we waiting for?"

"We were waiting for you to get here," Amy muttered.

He sighed. "I'm _sorry_. I'm here now. Let's go."

* * *

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and spread his arms. "Welcome to Melnova, home to the third most exciting New Year's event in the history of humans!"

"Third most exciting?" Amy asked as she pulled the TARDIS door shut behind her, looking around the cobblestoned alley they had landed in. "What's wrong with the first two?"

"Well," he said, spinning around to face them, "the first is also home to the most dangerous atmosphere in the history of humans, and the second is accompanied by an absolutely horrendous traditional meal. I thought this would be better." He headed up the alley, beckoning them to follow him. "Good food and fireworks this way!"

The alley connected to a long, wide road, lined on either side with short buildings that were rustic in a modern sort of way. It continued on in either direction, curving out of sight to the left and running into a large expanse of water to the right.

All down the road, there were streamers and lanterns and people waving sparklers around, and colorful booths offered a variety of different foods and party accessories.

River immediately wandered off to the nearest booth, where a young man was selling paint brushes, canvases, and cameras.

"Everyone's so… cheerful," Amy said.

"Of course!" the Doctor replied. "What were you expecting? Now look up."

"Look up?" Rory asked.

"Yes, look up!"

They looked up, and both of their jaws dropped open.

The Doctor beamed. "Wonderful, isn't it?"

The sky above them was a pale, marbled blend of purple and orange, with red clouds hanging contentedly in front of the colorful spectacle.

"It's even better than a sunset," Rory said.

"I know!"

"Is that like… the atmosphere or something?" Amy asked.

"Nope," the Doctor replied, grinning. "The planet has a force field around it for protection, and they realized that they could project images onto it. So every year, they design a new sky. On Earth, you all get so excited about the tolling of a new year and you throw parties and you watch balls drop and you have champagne, but then the new year shows up and it's just like the last one. Here, the clock strikes midnight and the entire sky changes. They even identify their years by what the sky looks like. Last time I was here they were in 'The Year of the Ocean Above'. The sky looked like water, which I must say was rather strange. I think people were glad to see that one go."

"Who designs the sky?" Rory asked. "Do they vote on it?"

"There's a committee," the Doctor explained. "They recruit the best, most creative artists for the job, and the design for next year's sky is one of the most heavily guarded secrets they have."

"Unless you happen to have a certain knack for learning heavily guarded secrets," River said, walking back up to them with a plate in her hands.

"River!" The Doctor's expression was comically dismayed. "You can't _do_ that!"

"Oh, but I just did."

"You know what the sky's going to be?" Rory asked.

Amy leaned forward excitedly. "What is it?"

River smiled. "Spoilers."

"Oh, come on!" Amy said, folding her arms over her chest. "What could it hurt?"

"Everything!" the Doctor said as he waved his arms dramatically at them. "It's supposed to be a _surprise_!"

"You're going to love it," River assured them. "I promise."

The Doctor sighed. "River, really. Why can't you just find out with the rest of us?"

"This is much more fun," she said. She held out the plate. "Chocolate fruit tart, anyone?"

* * *

A couple of hours, many plates of tarts, and one nearly-disastrous sparkler later, the four of them sat on the beach with the rest of the townspeople, watching a countdown that had been projected onto the sky just over the horizon.

When the countdown hit ten, a chant rose from the assembled group to join the changing numbers.

"Nine! …Eight! …Seven! …Six! …Five!"

River leaned against the Doctor's side, her hair brushing the side of his face. "This is lovely, sweetie. You picked well… for once."

"River Song!" he said, looking down at her indignantly. "My choice of locations is always excellent!"

She just smiled.

"Two! …One!"

The countdown disappeared, and the entire beach held its breath for a short moment…

The sky rippled, and then the purple and orange marble was washed away, replaced with a brilliant, deep blue.

"That's it?" Amy asked disappointedly.

"Just wait," River told her.

A moment later, small pinpricks appeared all throughout the new canvas of blue, and shafts of light slowly opened up. An assortment of clouds — puffy, wispy, and everything in between — formed in the space below the sky, absorbing and reflecting the sunlight in all sorts of interesting ways.

Finally, a scattering of stars sprang into existence between the shafts of light.

The result was like nothing they had ever seen before — blending the night and day into a beautiful spectacle of light and color.

The people on the beach all broke out cheering, and cried, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Amy and River exchanged mischievous smiles, but before the Doctor could be worried about what the Pond women were plotting, his wife had pulled him into a deep, celebratory kiss.

He smiled against her lips and raised a hand to her hair.

Then he remembered.

He pulled away from her, and she frowned at him. He didn't say anything, just looked up worriedly.

As he had expected, all of the nearby townspeople had turned to look at them, expressions ranging from shock to horror to outright anger.

"Sweetie…" River said slowly. "What's going on?"

"Why are they looking at us like that?" Amy asked, having released her own husband when she realized something was happening.

"I, uh…" The Doctor scratched his cheek nervously. "I may have forgotten to mention that the people here find, um… public displays of affection to be, well… quite offensive."

"That's ridiculous!" Amy exclaimed.

A nearby man took a step forward, his expression stony, and Amy scrambled to her feet, pulling Rory with her. River and the Doctor quickly followed suit.

"This is a beach," the man said, "not a bedroom. We are celebrating a sacred holiday here."

"Yes, yes, sorry," the Doctor said. "We didn't mean anything by it, it's just—"

"Where we come from," Amy said, "kissing is a New Year's tradition. Clearly you have different values here."

Her statement might have been fine, had it not been for the rather derisive tone of voice she used to express the last sentence.

"We value discretion and privacy," the man told her, his expression only becoming stonier, "and a more wholesome form of celebration."

"But—"

"Amy," Rory said quietly, "I think maybe we shouldn't argue with people who outnumber us."

The Doctor took a step back. "We'll just be leaving now. The sky is very nice. Happy New Year."

He ushered the other three back in the direction of the TARDIS and turned to follow them. He could feel the disapproving glares of the townspeople following them all the way back up the street.

"I can't believe you brought us to a planet where they don't allow kissing!" Amy said indignantly.

"I didn't think it would be a problem!" the Doctor replied, turning down the alley where the TARDIS was parked. "Honestly, Pond, I've never traveled with anyone who was quite so… _kiss-y_."

"You really should have seen this one coming," River said, seeming incredibly amused by the whole situation.

The Doctor harrumphed and unlocked the door. Pushing it open, he said, "The sky was nice, though, right?"

Amy kissed him on the cheek on her way past. "The sky was beautiful. Let's never do it again."

He smiled, and followed her into the ship.

* * *

**A/N: So there you go. Happy New Year, everyone. Here's to hoping that 2014 treats us well. :)**


End file.
